Transport In Thailand'Cheap And Reliable'

Transport in Thailand is cheap, reliable and hassle free to use, so there's nothing to stop you from exploring Thailand's six geographical regions, even if you don't wish to hire a car and drive yourself.

While Thailand's government owned bus and long distance train fleet are definitely aging, their planes, taxi's, and ferries are fine to use. Additionally, if you are staying within Bangkok you have the choice of using their excellent BTS Skytrain and MRT subway network.

BACKGROUND

While
it is true that Bangkok experiences some of the worst traffic
congestion of anywhere in the world it is still a surprisingly easy
city to get around. Once you arrive in Bangkok at either Suvarnabhumi
International Airport or the older Don Muang Airport you can utilise the
excellent Bangkok Mass Transport System (i.e. the BTS Skytrain
network), or the Metropolitan Rapid Transit system (MRT) or subway,
which includes no fewer than 19 trains to service 18 stations and 20
kilometres of underground track.

BTS SKYTRAIN

My favorite mode of transport in Bangkok is the BTS Skytrain network, which sits high above the urban landscape and uses two railway lines to connect metropolitan Bangkok. Construction on the BTS began in 2006 and the system opened in 2009. Since its opening it has been upgraded and additional stations have been added. It currently (as of 2014) has approximately 36 kilometres of track. The trains are relatively new, they are efficient, cheap to ride, and always on time.

The Silom line which is approximately 14.5 kilometres in length and has
13 stations at present, stretches from Bang Wa Station (past the Chao
Phraya River) to the National Stadium Station in Pathum Wan Disitrict in
the heart of Bangkok (see image below).

The
skytrain also connects with ferry services on the Chao Phraya River.
Just exit at Saphan Taksin Station (last station before the river heading outbound from the city) and walk to the Sathorn Pier (i.e. Central) to
catch a ferry.

The
Sukhumvit line which is approximately 22.2 kilometres in length, has
22 stations at present (as of 2014) and runs from Bearing Station to Mo Chit
Station (see image below).

The
skytrain is a favorite of mine as it services the 2
larger shopping malls in Bangkok, (i.e. MBK and Siam Paragon) located
in the Pathum Wan district, and provides a birds-eye view of the city.
Services commence about six thirty in the morning and conclude around
midnight. Tickets can be purchased from any station.

You
do have to interchange with the Silom line at Siam Station if you are
traveling into the city centre at Pathumwan district.

You
can purchase tickets via the ticket machine (see image below). They
are easy to use. If you don't have any coins then you just need to go
the ticket counter.

I have used the BTS Skytrain many times and can recommend its ease of use and efficiency.

MRT SUBWAY

Another popular mode of transport in Thailand is the train. In Bangkok it's called the Metropolitan Rapid Transit system (MRT) or subway (see image below). It includes no fewer than 19 trains to service 18 stations and 20
kilometres of underground track. The system transports around 240, 000 people a day.

At present there is only one MRT line in use although in 2011 construction commenced on a further two lines. The current line is the Chaloem Ratchamongkhon or the blue line and construction began back in 1996 and was completed in 2004. It travels from Bang Sue Station to Hua Lamphong Station and is a great method of transport in Thailand; specifically in Bangkok.

I have used the MRT in Bangkok and can recommend its use.

The ticketing system uses round black tokens and these are purchased from the ticket office or from ticket machines at each of the stations (see image below).

DOMESTIC AIR TRAVEL

A great means of transport in Thailand is air travel. There are over 60 airports located across Thailand and domestic fares are quite reasonably priced. The two main airports are the newer Suvarnabhumi
International Airport (which opened in 2006, see image below) and the much older Don Muang Airport (which opened back in 1914 and is one of the world's oldest international airports) which are both located in Bangkok.

I have traveled in Thailand using their domestic carriers on a number of occasions now flying between Bangkok and Nakhon Si Thammarat and also Phuket. I have found air travel in Thailand to be both easy and cost effective.

As noted there are a number of airports located outside of the central region of Thailand (i.e.Bangkok) including:

Southern Region

Phuket International Airport

Koh Samui International Airport

Krabi Airport

Northeastern Region

Buriram Airport

Nakhon Ratchasima Airport

Northern Region

Chiang Mai International Airport

Chiang Rai (Mae Fah Luang International Airport

Eastern Region

Chonburi (Bang Phra Airport)

Rayong/Pattaya (U-Tapao International Airport)

Western Region

Photharam, Ratchaburi (Photharam Airport)

BUS TRAVEL

Buses are an important method of transport in Thailand because they are very affordable for Thai people. These buses are used to transport freight and people across the entire country. There are thousands of buses in Thailand (both government and privately owned) used for both short and long distance travel (I recommend the use of private buses for long trips, see image below).

They do vary in age and condition so it is best to have a look at what you will be traveling on before you purchase your ticket.

In
Bangkok however, the buses are predominantly government owned and the fleet is old. For long distance travel there are large bus stations in Bangkok which
connect passengers with the different regions of Thailand (i.e.
Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal connects passengers with the southern
region of Thailand including Phuket) .

The
fares for long distance travel and for short trips in Bangkok are very
affordable and bus maps are available from from book stores and
Seven-Eleven stores.

In
Bangkok, the bus fleet contains both air-conditioned and
non-air conditioned buses. I have traveled on both, and believe me when I say it is definitely worth paying an extra 20 Thai baht
(about 70 cents) to catch an air conditioned bus on a hot Bangkok day.

To ride on a bus in Bangkok, simply get on and purchase your ticket from the bus conductor. However, be warned bus journey's around Bangkok can be very slow due to traffic congestion on the roads.

I have also traveled on the overnight bus between Bangkok and Hua Hin and can recommend travel on the both government and private buses. They are a cheap and easy method of transport in Thailand.

TAXIS

Taxis can be found in just about every region, town and district and they are a good choice of transport in Thailand. In Bangkok there are thousands of taxis and they are useful depending upon the time of day (i.e.
outside of peak hour) and whether the driver can speak reasonable English, or you can speak reasonable Thai. There are a couple of different companies that operate in Bangkok and the cars are painted either pink or yellow and green (see image below).

Taxis are quite cost effective
too but be sure that the taxi you travel in has a metre and they turn it on. As a guide a 25 km journey in a taxi from the airport should
cost between 300-500 THB ($10-15 AUD or USD) if they use the metre and depending upon traffic congestion.

Some unscrupulous taxi drivers will target foreigners by quoting them a high price for the journey instead of using the taxi metre (which is always much cheaper for the customer).

I have traveled by taxi on many occasions in Bangkok and can recommend their use.

MOTORCYCLE TAXIS

Another
popular method of transport in Thailand is the motorcycle
taxi. Thai women use these in large numbers especially in Bangkok where there are a fast means of traveling over fairly short distances. Fares for a journey say over a 1-2 kilometres range average between around 20-30 Thai baht. The risk of injury on a motorcycle in Bangkok is much greater than in a car or bus. While the driver wears a crash helmet, the passenger does not.

The motorcycle taxis are easy to spot by the operators who wear orange coloured jackets.

I have traveled in Bangkok on the back of a motorcycle taxi and didn't encounter any problems.

TUK TUK'S

Tuk
tuk's are another popular form of transport in Thailand especially within the popular
tourist destinations (such as Phuket) and regional area's where metred taxi's are rare (see image below). They do not have a metre so the cost of the journey is negotiated before you get in the back seat. They are also open air vehicles so on a hot day they can get a little hot to travel in.

While I have seen them operating in Bangkok, I
would recommend taking an air-conditioned taxi
which has a meter. On a hot Bangkok day in congested traffic it is well
worth paying a few extra Thai baht.

I have traveled in the back of a Tuk Tuk in Chiang Mai and Phuket and I can recommend their use.

FERRIES AND RIVER TAXIS

Watercraft, including river taxis and ferries (see image below) are a great way to travel around Bangkok and this method of transport in Thailand dates back hundreds of years, especially along the Chao Phraya River.

The Chao Phraya Express Boat Company offers day tickets on their boats for around 75 Thai baht and there are 8 piers along the river where you can get off the ferry and walk around. These include:

Maharaj Pier

Oriental Pier

Phra Arthit Pier

Rajchawon Pier

Sathorn Pier (Central)

Si Phraya Pier

Tha Tien Pier

Wang Lang Pier

There
are literally hundreds of private water craft in operation along the Chao Phraya
River and apart from providing basic transportation, these water craft provide an excellent means of seeing the sights of Bangkok including
the Grand Palace.

In Bangkok there are a number of old rice junkets that have been converted to restaurants and bars which provide river cruises up and down the Chao Phraya River. These cruises operate during the night and day providing fine dining and entertainment along with some of the best views imaginable.

My wife took me out for a dinner cruise in 2010 to celebrate my birthday and the package included dinner and a show. The show highlighted traditional Thai dancing and we were also invited to join in.